WaveX Extends Bhasha Setu AI Challenge Deadline to July 30, 2025, to Promote Real-Time Language Translation Innovation

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting's startup initiative seeks cutting-edge AI solutions to bridge India's linguistic gaps and power inclusive digital governance.

New Delhi- In a move aimed at promoting AI innovation for India’s multilingual population, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s startup accelerator platform WaveX has officially extended the deadline for its prestigious Bhasha Setu Challenge. Participants now have until July 30, 2025, to submit their prototypes focused on real-time translation, transliteration, and voice localization across 12 major Indian languages.

Launched on June 30, 2025, the Bhasha Setu Challenge is a part of the government’s broader push to foster AI-based language technologies that enable last-mile digital governance in regional languages. The extension aims to accommodate a surge of interest from startups, AI developers, and technology innovators, many of whom had requested more time to enhance and fine-tune their entries.

The challenge, officially titled “BhashaSetu: Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat,” encourages the development of low-cost, scalable, and accessible AI-powered solutions to bridge linguistic barriers in India’s rapidly growing digital ecosystem. Solutions could include text and speech translation tools, cross-language AI voice assistants, and regional content delivery systems tailored for India’s diverse user base. Innovators are especially encouraged to leverage open-source frameworks, machine learning models, and proprietary algorithms designed for high efficiency and performance.

Entries can be submitted via the official portal: https://wavex.wavesbazaar.com

This AI-for-governance initiative is part of the WAVES (Web, AI, and Visual Ecosystem for Startups) program, which aims to revolutionize the media, language tech, and entertainment sectors through strategic government backing and startup mentorship. At the WAVES Summit 2025 held in Mumbai earlier this year, over 30 early-stage startups showcased their language and content tech innovations before investors and government leaders.

Currently, WaveX is running two national challenges — Bhasha Setu, for real-time AI-based multilingual tools, and Kalaa Setu, which focuses on AI-driven content generation. Both challenges now share the same submission deadline of July 30, 2025.

This extension represents not only an opportunity for the startup ecosystem to step up with breakthrough AI language tools but also marks India’s commitment to creating a truly inclusive, accessible, and digital-first governance framework.